East Portland Rotary Projects

In 1992, Rebuilding Together Portland (RTpdx) began renewing homes in our community (see Rebuilding Together).  Each year on the last Saturday in April, RTpdx (and all Rebuilding Together chapters across the country) has a work day to renew homes for low-income homeowners in need.  (These are often seniors, veterans and those with disabilities).  RTpdx coordinates unskilled volunteers like us, skilled volunteer tradespeople and companies, and corporate sponsorship to benefit the needy in our community. 

Each year, the SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) program reaches thousands of young Oregon students with vital one-on-one reading support and books for those who need them most.  See SMART.  Reading with a child for one hour a week can make a real difference.  Since SMART’s 1992 origin, 134,389 volunteers have served 211,135 students in Oregon. 

The East Portland Rotary Foster Children program began in December 1998.  That first year consisted of a Christmas party for 75± area foster children.  While it was a small party, the impact was huge.  Seeing the joy in those children’s faces led to the program expanding. Over the years, a number of different events took place.  From fishing trips, part day events at Portland Children’s Museum, Oregon Zoo and Oaks Park, Easter egg hunts and our signature event – the annual Christmas party.  

Rotary End Sex Trafficking began as a multi-club committee in 2012.  East Portland, Albina, Central East Portland and Southeast Portland Rotary Clubs formed the committee and partnered with the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct Sex Trafficking team early after our formation.  Our signature Soap Project began in 2012 and continues annually since then. We deliver approximately 10,000 bars of soap labeled with the toll free National Trafficking hotline 1-800-377-888 and text BEFREE.